Showing posts with label guest author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest author. Show all posts

Monday, October 24, 2016

An Interview with Kimbra Kasch (#historical #vikings #KingArthur @KimKasch)


Morgaine Le Fey cover

Today I’m delighted to welcome Kimbra Kasch, author of Morgaine Le Fay and The Viking, to Beyond Romance. I always enjoy historical fiction, so I was eager to learn more about her book.

What inspired you to write this book? 

My first trip to Hamlet’s Castle in Elsinore, Denmark. My husband was born and raised in Denmark so when he took me to meet his Danish family, he took me to visit one of his country’s most fantastic sites. It was there that I first learned of the legend of Holger Danske, a Viking Warrior and heir to the throne. But that wasn’t even the most fascinating thing to me. I found out Holger was married to King Arthur’s half-sister, Morgaine Le Fay. And the legend got more interesting with every word. 

Hamlet's Castle
 

King Arthur was given Excalibur by The Lady of the Lake (a Norse Goddess) but he wasn’t the first or the last to be given such a gift…

Holger was given the sister sword to Excalibur – “CORTANA”.

I couldn’t forget about this Viking. When I went home I read all I could find about him…and Morgaine. The legends cross countries: France, Denmark, England, Ireland… I was mesmerized.

How did you come up with the title?

Morgaine (who is found in many legends, under many different names in many different countries: (e.g. Morgaine Le Fay, Morgan le Fay, Morgaine le Fey, Morgen, Morgain, Morganna, Morgant, Morgane, Morgne, Morge, and more) fascinated me most of all. In some legends she was a shield maiden who rode out in the front of King Arthur’s army. In other legends she was a sorceress and in some a Fairy. I had to read more about her. But when you put the legends of Morgaine together with the legends of Holger…I felt their story had to be told. 

It seemed so strange that people in America had only heard the portion of the tale that included King Arthur…maybe because that part of the story was all in English. But, if you could read French, Danish and English, you could hear the rest of the story.

What made you choose the main setting for your book?

My story travels from Britain to Denmark to France and back again. I couldn’t choose only one location when the story travels across continents, countries and an ocean. ;D

 
Viking House

If you could spend an hour in real life with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

I think I would want to talk with Morgaine the most. I would like to see why people thought she was a Fairy and a sorceress but mostly I would like to hear about her life as a shield maiden. For a woman to ride into battle and actually defend the men she loved is fascinating to me, a woman who sits behind a desk and types… ;D I mean, the worst thing that could happen to me is a hangnail or maybe a paper cut ;D

Tell us a little bit about the conflict in your story.

The conflict in my story involves Holger and Morgaine riding into battle against each other. The Vikings were not a friend to the Brits. Yet, somehow these two epic characters fell in love. It was not an easy journey or path to choose. King Arthur did not welcome a Viking to his table.

Do you write books in series? If so, share a bit about the series you currently have published or are coming soon.

I hate to say goodbye to characters I love. I keep thinking about them and writing about them.

This is the first book in a series of three… It starts with Morgaine and travels through time to tell more of the story.

So are you currently working on another story?

I am working on the third book in the Viking Series, which tells the true tale of Mordred, Morgaine’s son. Or at least the Viking perspective ;D

What sources do you use for research?

I gathered all the information I could about my story, including visiting many of the sites in my story. I traveled from Denmark to France to England and Ireland. I also pulled from the library and grabbed everything I could when I was in Denmark. 

 

It’s time to promo. What is your favorite marketing tool?

I am horrible at marketing. I am an introvert at heart…as many writers are. But I enjoy Pinterest, I have a Viking board where I pin pictures. Plus I love to post pictures to Instagram too.

Blurb

Travel across oceans, continents and countries to discover the story of legendary Viking hero, Holger Danske, and his magical romance with King Arthur’s half-sister in Morgaine Le Fay and the Viking

This is the story of two warriors who never thought they’d find love, especially on the battlefield, yet standing poised against each other Morgaine and Holger face an attraction more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than all the powers of Merlin.


Find Kimbra on your favorite social media:


Plus, on Instagram @kasch.kim

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Saturday, May 28, 2016

Phantom: The Immortal (#paranormal #gothic #music)

The Story Behind an Erotic Sequel

A conversation between Mitzi Szereto and Ashley Lister


Mitzi: Can you believe Phantom: The Immortal has been ten years in the making? I have no idea where the time went, but you’d be surprised at how quickly ten years can pass for two very busy authors! I guess Ashley and I both ended up being pulled in other directions and onto other projects, but thank goodness we got there in the end.

Ashley: It’s been a wonderful experience. As writers we usually do things in isolation but being able to collaborate, especially on a story as exciting as this one, has been a lot of fun.

Mitzi: Ashley and I really liked the idea of doing a contemporary sequel to Gaston Leroux’s classic The Phantom of the Opera, and back when we began our novel, virtually no one had done such a thing. What we wanted was to take the main character and bring him into the modern day, adding in some paranormal themes such as immortality and reincarnation.

Ashley: The original is very sexy in its own way. You have characters who are overpowering, domineering and submissive. But the eroticism of that original story was very much between the lines. We wanted to produce something where the sexual frisson was a little more foregrounded.

Mitzi: In our version, the Phantom has been living beneath the Paris Opera House all this time when suddenly a beautiful young soprano, the mirror image of his Christine Daaé, appears for an audition. Needless to say, he must have her at all costs and he sets out to do precisely that. How he goes about it…well, let’s just say that our Phantom is no shrinking violet when it comes to making his desires known. He’s had a lot of time to get all hot and bothered in that underground lair of his and a lot of time to think of some interesting ways to satisfy his sexual (and kinky) urges!

Ashley: Kinky? I believe the saying is: it’s only kinky the first time. Personally I’d say romantic with a lascivious flair. Perhaps we should start marketing that as a new genre?

Mitzi: Indeed! But Phantom: The Immortal is a lot of things; it’s erotic romance, Gothic romance, paranormal romance and romantic suspense. I think it will fit a lot of reading tastes.

Technically, this is the first time I’ve worked with another author on a book, though as some of you may know. I’ve since gone on to write my cozy mystery satire series The Thelonious T. Bear Chronicles with my celebrity bear Teddy Tedaloo. Trying to co-write a novel with another author isn’t easy, but Ashley and I came up with a wonderfully logical way to go about it. We decided to take on the roles of the two main characters: the Phantom and Christine Delacroix. I’d write a chapter as Christine, with Ashley writing the next as the Phantom, and so on and so on, switching back and forth until the book was finally completed. We even structured our novel in various “Acts” and “Scenes” to give it that theater feel. Both of these characters are so strong and have such individual voices; having us each write our character helps to strengthen that.

Ashley: In a way that approach was something of a double-edged sword. It was great to be working with a colleague whom I admire and respect. But it was also very intimidating. Once we began to exchange our chapters, Mitzi would send a fantastic piece of writing, and that would put the pressure on me to produce material to the highest standard I was capable of writing. Then, when Mitzi sent her next piece back, which was invariably better than the piece she’d sent before, I had to up my game higher.

It meant the pressure was on throughout the writing process, but I believe that means the finished product is something better than I could have ever produced on my own.

Mitzi: Ashley is too modest! But now that I see the finished product, I can’t even imagine having done this book any other way or having written it with any other author. And I’m sure Ashley will agree with me there. Or at least I hope he will!

Ashley: I agree absolutely. Now, all I need to do, is try to convince Mitzi that we should collaborate again!



Blurb

Sexual desire and soul-searing need fuel this contemporary erotic sequel that relocates the original character from Gaston Leroux’s classic novel The Phantom of the Opera to present-day Paris…

While attending an auction of music memorabilia, young soprano Christine Delacroix bids on some letters written by another young soprano, Christine Daaé, who lived during the 19th century. Here she meets the handsome Compte Rezso Esterhazy, who immediately sets out to court her. Despite his attentions, Christine becomes obsessed with the Daaé letters and her namesake’s mysterious “Angel of Music”—a masked man who lived beneath the Paris Opera House.

Seemingly immortal and frozen in time, the Phantom is condemned to life below the opera house and in the shadows…until Christine Delacroix auditions for a minor role in Faust. Convinced the Christine from his past has been returned to him, he sets out for her to have the lead female role. He visits her in her dressing room to give her singing lessons, all the while remaining hidden from view. Insanely jealous over Christine’s budding romance with the Compte, the Phantom abducts her and takes her to his underground lair, where the singing lessons continue. Only this time they are far more depraved and sexual in nature.

Excerpt

“Just like Christine,” he murmured. Without thinking, he placed one gloved hand against the back of the mirror. If the glass hadn’t been there, he knew he would have reached out to touch her and reassure himself that she wasn’t an apparition. He snatched his hand back to his side as though he had been scalded.

Pausing briefly in her aria, Christine pulled the T-shirt over her head.

She was naked beneath.

His eyes widened. He pressed his lips tightly together, scared that the slightest sound would alert her to his presence. Fearful she might hear the deafening timpani that had replaced his heartbeat, he placed a hand over his chest as she slipped out of her jeans.

And still she sang.

The sensory overload threatened to push him past the brink of sanity. The world’s most glorious music; his life’s most profound love; her truly angelic singing voice; and the magnificence of Christine’s nudity. Swallowing, forcing his mind to go past the arousal she inspired, he tried to work his thoughts into a semblance of appropriate order. He needed to understand why and how she had returned to him, and then decide what he should do to make sure they were never again separated. He needed to approach the situation rationally and with cool detachment. Common sense told him that he would only be able to win her love by displaying reserve and restraint.

He was sickened to find himself appraising her.

In the gaudy light of the dressing room darkened only by the glass that separated them, her skin looked perfectly taut. His fingers flexed and tightened within his gloves as he imagined stroking and caressing her curves. Her bare breasts—beautifully rounded, exquisitely plump, and tipped by crinkled areolae and mocha nipples—silently begged for his touch. His gaze slipped to her crotch, and he didn’t know whether he was delighted or dismayed to discover that she was modestly wearing white panties. The flimsy cotton was darkened at the crotch by the thatch of her pubic curls. The high waistband accentuated her slender waist and drew his attention to the roundedness of her hips.

He stifled the urge to groan.

Buy Links







About the Authors


Mitzi Szereto (mitziszereto.com) is an author and anthology editor of multi-genre fiction and non-fiction. She has her own blog of humorous essays at Errant Ramblings: Mitzi Szereto’s Weblog (mitziszereto.com/blog), and a web TV channel Mitzi TV (mitziszereto.com/tv), which covers the quirky side of London, England. Her books include Rotten Peaches (The Thelonious T. Bear Chronicles) and Normal for Norfolk (The Thelonious T. Bear Chronicles)—the cozy mystery/satire series co-authored with her sidekick bear Teddy Tedaloo; The Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray; Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts; Darker Edge of Desire: Gothic Tales of Romance; Love, Lust and Zombies; Thrones of Desire: Erotic Tales of Swords, Mist and Fire; Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance; Getting Even: Revenge Stories; and Dying For It: Tales of Sex and Death. Mitzi has pioneered erotic writing workshops in the UK and mainland Europe, teaching from the Cheltenham Festival of Literature to the Greek islands, as well as lecturing in creative writing at several British universities. Her anthology Erotic Travel Tales 2 is the first anthology of erotica to feature a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.



Ashley Lister (ashleylister.co.uk) is a prolific writer, having written more than two dozen full-length novels and over a hundred short stories. His most recent titles include the Sweet Temptation series from HarperCollins and the horror novel Raven and Skull, due to be released mid-2016. Aside from regularly blogging about writing, Ashley is also an occasional performance poet and teaches creative writing. He has hosted creative writing workshops at Eroticon, the annual conference for sex bloggers and erotica writers, and is the editor of Coming Together in Verse, a charity anthology of erotic poetry. Ashley is currently studying for a PhD in creative writing, focusing on short fiction. He lives in Lancashire in the UK. Visit his blog at ashleylisterauthor.blogspot.co.uk.

Author Links

Mitzi Szereto website: http://mitziszereto.com

Mitzi Szereto on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mitziszereto


Ashley Lister website: http://ashleylister.co.uk

Ashley Lister on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleylister

Phantom: The Immortal website: http://mitziszereto.com/phantomtheimmortal/

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Monday, April 4, 2016

Cover Reveal: Once by MS Kaye (#romance #coverreveal @mskosciuszko)

 

Once - Book One, by M.S. Kaye
Her first and also her once.

Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.

But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.

Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.

But are they able to forget and let go?


Will be released July 2, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.

Once & Again, book two

Will be released September 4, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.

She was once his secret desire…will she be again?

Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams.

Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancé, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?

Once & Forever, book three

Will be released December 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.

Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? As Eden and Trace grow closer, confessing their pasts to each other, will they be able to resist getting too close?

Excerpt from Once

“What’s the answer?”

He paused. “A switchblade.”

With my fingertips, I reached out and traced the scar across his cheek. “Did you win?”

He removed my hand and closed his eyes. “Yes.”

I slid his Book back to him. “This says we can find forgiveness.”

His eyes still closed, his jaw clenched. He bowed his head. “It also says ‘Thou shalt not kill.’”

I took his hand in both of mine, petted his rough skin, and then brought it to my lips. He had a talent for guiding invisibly, but I didn’t know how to do that.

He watched me again. His eyes were intense, like the black of the night sky, and his forehead was furrowed, as if his emotions were scattered, as if he was shocked at my reaction, as if he had been sure his answer would drive me away. But I knew him. Already, I knew him.

“You’re still a good person,” I said.

His jaw clenched. “I’ve been trying to believe that.”

“I have faith in you.”

He continued to watch me. His forehead never smoothed, as if he was fighting for strength, but his eyes softened. He slid around the booth, closer to me.

I didn’t move, not sure what to do, what was right, what he wanted.

He leaned closer.

I only watched him.

He touched his lips to my cheek, the faintest pressure. I struggled to sit still, to keep my hands in my lap, not to grab hold of him. And then his lips were gone, such brief contact that I couldn’t be sure if he had actually kissed my cheek or if I wanted his contact so much that I’d imagined it.

He spoke in my ear. “You must be some kind of final test.”

My heart pounded into my ribs, against the point of the blade. “Are you going to pass?”

His lips brushed against my jaw. “I don’t know.”

He trailed to my neck, his mouth softly pressing. My hand curled into his hair, the other on his shoulder, holding, clutching. His mouth found mine, barely touching. His warmth invaded my head.

“God give me strength,” he murmured.

The door slid open, and the compartment filled with laughter.

He closed his eyes. Then he slid away from me.


Author Bio

M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.

To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.

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Wednesday, February 3, 2016

An Interview with Michael Leon (and a Giveaway!)

[Today I am hosting Michael Leon's blog tour for his new science fiction novel Cubeball. Read on for more info, and don't forget to enter his giveaway at the end! ~ Lisabet]


1. What is your favourite ice cream flavour?

Where do I begin! The best ice cream desert I ever had was named ‘the Apple’. It was served at an inner London restaurant called Sarastro. The desert was shaped like an apple. But the minute you cut into it with a spoon, coconut, banana, apple and cinnamon flavours and aromas sparkled from its core. It motivated me to write the restaurant scene where Mickey and Jules dined.

2. Which mythological creature are you most like?

My mind turns to Jason and the Argonauts. I imagine myself as Jason as he confronts Medusa and the sirens on a distant turbulent shore. Medusa’s mix of goddess-like beauty that could entice any man and her deadly secret that could turn a man to stone is a wonderful idea that plays on human weakness.

3. First book you remember making an incredible impression on you.

I remember going to the movie release of 2001 A Space Odyssey. It so inspired me, I read A.C. Clarke’s book, not long after. I went on to read many more of his novels and enjoyed his brand of hard science fiction.

4. How do you develop your plot and characters?

I’m not from the school of writers who overly plan. Don’t get me wrong, I do research for many months before commencing my novel. But once I start the process of writing a first draft, I try to write it quickly. So I rely more on my creativity to develop the plot and then I work with my characters to move the action forward.

5. Describe your writing space.

I have spaces all over the world, literally! At home, I go out most mornings with paper and pen in hand. My day usually starts with a long walk to allow my imagination to run free. Then I settle in a park, beach or quiet cafe to write new scenes. Typing and editing is left until the afternoon in my lounge room at home. 



Blurb

A naturally gifted ex-national champion and a savant with a computer-like mind compete against the world's best in the 22nd century's most popular sport - CUBEBALL - the chess-like, technology-enhanced, snooker of the future where the world stage is dominated by gambling, drugs and massive audiences.

Excerpt

Jules’ gaze emboldened Mickey to reveal his special gift to her. He strode confidently to the cue-ball and lined up one of the most difficult shots in cubeball. Then with little thought, he cracked the cue-ball with a force that matched the passion he was feeling. The curve on the first line was more pronounced than the programmed line set by the computer.

Mickey had struck the perfect shot. Sam and Riley sat staring at the console, mesmerised by what they had just seen and eager to re-capture its perfection on replay. Only champions could play this way and it was clear to all that Mickey was developing into one.

“Fucking incredible,” said Johnnie. His eyes were wide. Filled with awe for Mickey’s skills and expectation with how much he could earn from it.

Mickey didn’t hear his appreciative manager. He didn’t see the small tear that had formed in his kid sister’s admiring eye. His gaze remained on Jules. She brushed her hair back on to her shoulders before resting her slender hands on her hips. Her mouth was wide open, breathing in her excitement for what she had just seen. Then her eyes revealed that there was more to her feelings than that of an adoring fan. Her gaze began to fill with a stirring hunger. Fate was beginning to move into Mickey’s life like an evening moon tide.

About the Author



I worked with national and international organisations as a business analyst in Australia and overseas. I authored many business books analysing the foodservice and food retail industry in Australia, Europe and Asia, as well as agribusiness global trends. I also ran a consultancy business that assisted Australian enterprises to develop new markets in Australia and overseas.

I commenced writing science fiction novels full time in 2009. It was a life-long interest of mine. I have written five novels - all exploring contemporary social issues in future speculative worlds. They are: Shadow Dance; Extinction; Cubeball; Titan Sages and Alive. My novels blend speculative science, new age and poetry. Readers of novels such as Carl Sagan’s Contact would enjoy my novels.

Links





Buy links



Giveaway!

Michael will be giving away a $50 Amazon/BN gift card to one lucky reader. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. To increase your chances of winning, visit the other stops on his tour.


January 11: Long and Short Reviews
January 11: Reviews by Crystal
January 12: Room With Books
January 13: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
January 14: Writer Wonderland
January 14: Unabridged Andra's
January 15: Christine Young
January 15: Independent Authors
January 18: Romorror Fan Girl
January 19: Deal Sharing Aunt
January 19: Cover2Cover
January 20: The Reading Addict
January 20: Liza O'Connor
January 21: Queen of All She Reads
January 22: Sharing Links and Wisdom
January 25: Blog of Jacey Holbrand
January 25: Reviews By Crystal
January 26: Author C.A.Milson
January 27: Where the Story Comes First
January 27: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
January 28: Harps Romance Book Review
January 29: Tina Donahue Books - Heat with Heart
January 29: The Avid Reader
February 1: SolaFide Book Club
February 2: LibriAmoriMiei
February 2: It's Raining Books
February 3: Beyond Romance
February 4: BooksChatter
February 4: Harlie's Books
February 5: Welcome to My World of Dreams
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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